ATTENUATED HERPESVIRUSES, HERPESVIRUSES WHICH INCLUDE FOREIGN DNA ENCODING AN AMINO ACID SEQUENCE AND VACCINE CONTAINING SAME

摘要

The present invention provides a hybrid, nonprimate herpesvirus comprising DNA which includes a sequence essential for viral replication of the hybrid, nonprimate herpesvirus, at least a portion of which is present in a sequence essential for replication of a naturally-occurring primate herpesvirus and at least one foreign DNA sequence. Attenuated nonprimate herpesviruses are also provided which comprise DNA including a sequence essential for replication of the attenuated virus, at least a portion of which is present in a sequence essential for replication of a naturally-occurring nonprimate herpesvirus, and at least one foreign DNA sequence adapted for expression in a host and encoding an amino acid sequence which is antigenic in the host. These viruses are useful as vaccines for immunizing animals against herpesvirus disease. In an animal infected with attenuated pseudorabies virus, the DNA which includes a sequence essential for replication of the attenuated pseudorabies virus encodes mRNAs which are translated into antigenic infected animal and immunological response distinguishable from an immunological response in which an animal infected with a naturally-occurring pseudorabies virus. The invention provides a method for distinguishing an animal vaccinated with a vaccine of the present invention from an animal infected with a naturally occurring pseudorabies virus.